Magnitude 8.2 earthquake strikes southern Panama, prompting tsunami warnings
An 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Panama’s southern coast on Friday, prompting tsunami warnings, while no damage was initially reported and the Panama Canal remained operational.
Panama City, Panama. An 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Panama’s southern coast on Friday at a depth of 10 km, according to the US Geological Survey. No damage was initially reported, and the Panama Canal Authority said the waterway was operating normally.
Epicenter near Pacific coast
The earthquake’s epicenter was close to the rural community of La Pitaloza, in a sparsely populated area of southern Panama near the country’s Pacific coastline.
Panamanian television footage showed people evacuating buildings. Reuters witnesses said the earthquake was felt in Panama City and in the capital of neighboring Costa Rica.
Tsunami warnings issued
The US Tsunami Warning System warned that hazardous tsunami waves were possible along parts of the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico within the next three hours.
The system also said there was a tsunami threat to Hawaii.
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